Peters



KNO Modm- Y App. BROWNYB. PASTENBR'POR STOBPBRS OBMILK GANS', am. No. 281,507. Patented July 17, 1883:.

v y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER P. BROWN E, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND EDWARD BURNETT, OF SOUTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

FAASTENER FOR STOPPERS OF IVlILK-CANS, 86C.-

:SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,607, dated July 1'7, 1883.

Application tiled May 14, 18H3.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER I). BRowNE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Fastener for the Stoppers of Millians, of which the following is a specication.-

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, easily applied, and secure fastening for preventing the unauthorized removal from the mouth of a milk-can or similar vessel of the stopper by which it is closed, and I accomplish this as herein shown and illustrated.

My fastening consists of a flexible or elastic band preferably constructed of one piece of wire, said band being adapted to be opened,

so as to allowthe stopper to be introduced into its place in the mouth of the can, and provided with means for engaging with the can, so that when the ends of theband are brought together and secured by a lock or seal the band engaging with the can, and also with a suitablyformed projection upon the stopper, )revents the withdrawal of the stopper from the can without tampering with the lock or seal.

- I will now describe the construction and operation of this band or fastener inthe manner best known to me and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figures l and 2 show in perspective the fastener A and the means by which it engages with the can. Fig. 3 shows in elevation a stopper and can, the stopper being locked in place and the fastener engaging with the handle of the can. Figs. 4 and 5 show, respectively, a section and a plan view of a locked stopper, the attachment of the fastener to the can being, in this case, by means of the rim instead of by the handle, as before shown.

A is a flexible or elastic band of wire, provided with an extension, B, adapted to engage with the inner side of the handle D of a can,

C, of ordinary construction. This bandA has its ends formed in loops E, so that when the stopper is in place and the ends of the band brought together they may be secured by a seal orpadlock, F. To enable this band to engage with and prevent the withdrawal of the (No model.)

stopper G, the latter is provided with a horizontal groove or slot, I, with which the band A engages when its ends are drawn together. This groove is shown in section in Fig. 4 and by dotted lines in plan at Fig. 5. Instead of this groove a longitudinal shoulder or projection outwardly from the side of the stopper G may be provided to engage with the band A, and thus in the same way prevent the withdrawal of the stopper.-

The looped ends of the band may be simply drawn together, as shown in Figs. l and 3, or they -may be drawn together and lapped one over the other, as shown in Figs. 2, 4:, and 5. The extension B of the band A may also be formed so as to engage with some other suitable portion of the can than the'handle. In Figs. 4 and 5 it is shown as engaging'with the rim K of the can formed in the ordinary manner.

Should the stopper G enter the mouth of the can so far that it could not be removed by being swung out of the can in a circle, but would require to be first lifted out vertically, the single engagement of the band with the can, as illustrated in Fig. 3, at one part only being suiiicient to prevent this vertical withdrawal of the stopper, is sufficient to prevent the stopper from being withdrawn at all. On the other hand, when the stopper does not enter the can to a depth sufficient to prevent its being thrown out of the mouth ofthe can in the arc of a circle,'as described, I provide the end Eof the band Awith a projection, hook, or catch, H, which is also adapted to engage with the can itself, and,- the band being thus secured, the stopper cannot be removed. This is illustrated in Fig. 4L. In this respect I consider the lower part or extension of the stopper G, if entering the can to a sufficient distance to prevent the stopper from being thrown out in the arc of a circle, as performing a function equivalent to that of a part, H.

In applying the fastening-band for the purpose of securing the stopper against removal from the mouth of the can, the operation is as follows: The band E is put in place above the mouth of the can, the part B having been caused to engage with the corresponding part of the can. The ends of the band are now slightly separated, so as to give place for the introduction of the stopper. This is put into the can to a distance sufficient to bring the groove I at such a height that the band A will enter it, the groove I being for this obj eet placed sufficiently high up on the stopper to enable the latter to make a tight closure of the mouth of the can when the groove I is opposite, and may be engaged by the band A when the ends ofthe band are brought together. The ends are now brought together, or brought together and lapped over, and secured by passing through them the Wire of a sealed lock or the hasp of an ordinary padlock, the Wire being subsequently sealed or the padlock locked, as the case may be.

It is obvious that the extension B, either as shown or by a slight modification of its form, may be adapted to engage with and be held by some projection specially formed upon the can or the handle to receive it; but I prefer in this respect to avoid such a construction as wouldrequire the addition to the can of any special structure to engage with the fastener, a merit of the fastener in its present form being that it is capable of attachment directly to the can as ordinarily constructed Without the necessity of adding any part thereto.

I claiml. The band A, provided with the part B and the looped ends E, all substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. rlhe band A, provided with the part B, the looped ends E, and the projection, hook, or catch II.

3. The combination of the band A, having the extension B and the looped ends E, of the handle D, and the stopper G, provided with a groove, I, with suitable means, substantially as described, for locking or securing together the ends E, all substantially as described and shown.

4. rlhe combination of band A, provided with the part B, and the ends E, of the can C, the stopper G, having the groove I, and means of locking the ends ot' the band together, all substantially as described, and for the purlposes herein set forth.

ALEX. I. BROWNE.

Vitnesses:

J HENRY TAYLOR, JAMES F. BLIGH. 

